Nigeria may face Famine by January 2017 following “mindless export of Nigerian grains” – Presidency

The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in an interview with Pyramid Radio in Kano, has said that aggressive exportation of grains may lead to famine in the country starting from January 2017, Vanguard reports.

Shehu said that no fewer than 500 trucks of grains depart the country every week, following a huge demand in the global market that is targeting the country’s surplus production.

“Huge demand for our grains in the global market is creating an excellent environment for the mindless export of Nigerian grains across our borders and unless this is curtailed, Nigerian markets will be bereft of food by January next year.

Over the past year, Providence has blessed Nigeria with a bountiful harvest of grains, more than enough to feed the country and to export to other countries. At present, there is a high demand for grains from Nigeria, from African countries as distant as Libya and Algeria, and from places as far away as Brazil.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture has raised concerns about a massive rate of exportation, which could lead to a shortage of grains in Nigeria by January,” Shehu said.

Shehu, who said Nigeria currently enjoys what he called a free market situation, stressed that: “President Muhammadu Buhari is not in any way opposed to or intent on tampering with that. On the other hand, exporters also have a moral obligation to make their produce available to Nigerians who live within our country’s borders, to ensure that our citizens have access to food.”

I dont understand these people, what stops the ministry of Agriculture from buying up said grains at a competitive price and storing it up for the nation?….These exporters are business men/women. So MoA, kindly stop giving excuses and get proactive.

I swear to you this oh!!!!! This is economics at its simplest.. They will sell to the highest bidder, it’s not a matter of altruism or being nice. No, have incentives for them to sell locally and they will. This is where tax breaks come in. Are we supposed to be angry that exporters Yoder stand business and are looking for markets to boost revenue, which in turn helps the Nigerian govt?? Man gtfohwtbs.

I can’t wait for the life of this administration to end.Always professing evil, since this guys came on board it has been one problem or the other.Hey,no wander PDP asked the president to return the country to the way he met it and resign.I don’t see this APC people transforming this country even if they stay till 2023.All they are good at is delay appointment and go afetr their perceived enemies using EFCC .Nigerians will boot you guys in 2019 by God’s grace.

Mr Garba Sheu. Tell us what we don’t already know? As of today how many Nigerians are hungry? In spite of the bountiful harvest. That is the message the First Lady Aishat Buhari was telling her Male chauvinistic husband last month. Now your turn to advice him. Advice your boss, Muhamodu Buhari to get off his high horse and face reality. Nigerians are Hungry. The jobless situation is very alarming, it has reached a very critical level in every parts of the Country. Your economic policies aren’t working. You need to change course. A word is enough for the wise. I ‘ m just saying.

Really we have bumper harvest this season, it better for Government to buy the excess and put it in strategic grain reserve. Also Government should change the color of 1000 and 500 naira note because that is the money looted from our treasury been used to buy the excess grain because they cannot take to bank for fear of EFCC.